The Home Organization and Garage Talk Blog

Is it Time to Replace Your Garage Door and Opener?

A garage door isn’t the kind of appliance that homeowners have to think about often. It tends to last a long time, especially if you’re conscientious about maintaining the door’s components, like the springs and rollers. Just because your garage door is still opening and closing years after its initial installation doesn’t mean that it might not be time for an upgrade. You don’t have to wait until your garage door quits completely to replace it. Take a look at some signs that it may be time for you to replace your garage door and opener.

The Door Doesn’t Automatically Reverse

Since the early 1990s, garage doors have come with an automatic reversal feature. This is a sensor that causes a descending door to stop and raise back up again if it senses something underneath a door. This is an important safety feature that helps protect small children and pets from being caught under a heavy door that they walked underneath at the wrong time.

You can check to see if your garage door’s automatic reversal feature works by placing a block or other sturdy object as it’s going down. If the door doesn’t reverse, it means that your garage door is either so old that it doesn’t have an automatic reverse feature or the automatic reverse feature has failed. Either way, it’s a good sign that it’s probably time to replace your garage door with one that’s up to current safety standards.

Your Neighbors Are Complaining About the Noise

Maybe your door works just the way it should, but it does so loudly. Does the door creak, screech, and groan as it opens and closes? Does it seem like the noises are getting louder every time you use the door? Have you found yourself apologizing to your neighbors for the noise your garage door makes in the mornings when you leave for work?

You can help your door operate more quietly by lubricating the chain and rollers, but some garage doors are just plain noisy no matter how well-maintained they are, especially as they get older. A newer model will almost certainly be quieter, and if you currently have a chain-drive opener installed, consider switching to a screw-drive or belt-drive for an even more quiet garage door opening experience.

You’re Ready for a Tech Upgrade for Your Garage Door Opener

Being able to open the garage door by pushing a button on the wall or on a remote is definitely better than having to manually open it, but why stop there? What if you could open the garage door remotely from your smartphone or computer? What if you could partially open it for delivery drivers to leave packages inside while you’re away? What if you could see who was approaching your garage door on a camera from anywhere you happened to be?

All of those are possibilities with a new garage door opener. Smart garage door openers offer all kinds of options, including operating or locking and unlocking your garage door remotely, getting alerts when the door is open, and monitoring your garage door from anywhere.

When you want to renovate or remodel your garage, upgrading your garage door is a great place to start. For more ideas about garage improvement, contact us.